The Bellman-Ford algorithm is a powerful method used to find the shortest paths from a single source vertex to all other vertices in a weighted graph. It is particularly useful for graphs that may contain edges with negative weights, which makes it a valuable alternative to Dijkstra's algorithm, which only works with non-negative weights. The algorithm operates by iteratively relaxing the edges of the graph; this means it updates the shortest path estimates for each vertex based on the edges leading to it. The process involves checking all edges repeatedly for a total of times, where is the number of vertices in the graph. If, after iterations, any edge can still be relaxed, it indicates the presence of a negative weight cycle, which means that no shortest path exists.
In summary, the steps of the Bellman-Ford algorithm are:
Start your personalized study experience with acemate today. Sign up for free and find summaries and mock exams for your university.